Lebanon re-detains French drug suspect after bail release

In Lebanon, a French national suspected of drug dealing was apprehended again shortly after being conditionally released. Identified as Abdel Karim Touil, he was initially caught at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, during which time both his French and Algerian passports were seized to prevent his departure from the country. Despite a temporary release on bail, Lebanon’s General Security Directorate, under the instruction of the prosecutor general, took Touil back into custody, now holding him at Beirut’s Justice Palace.

Details regarding legal representation for Touil in Lebanon have not been disclosed. Lebanese officials, who chose to remain anonymous, indicated that France is likely to request Touil’s extradition formally. They also mentioned an upcoming meeting between French and Lebanese judicial authorities to facilitate this process.

This case follows a recent precedent where Lebanon extradited a suspected Italian drug trafficker to Italy after detaining him in Beirut for a month, underscoring Lebanon’s cooperation with international law enforcement on such matters.